4c. Developing inquiry questions in my professional community.

 I have been extremely lucky that I have been able to create a strong professional network with employers and colleges all in the same field of professional practice. A strong network of professionals I have been able to establish, has been through my job as a BTEC national contemporary teacher at Upton – By – Chester High. This humanities college has strong special needs learning zone so I thought this would be the perfect place to seek advice on my integrated dance line of inquiry.

I firstly went to my main employer   C Tierney (Head of performing arts) and put forward to him my questions on integrated dance.  We discussed many areas surrounding the topic but one thing became clear, he didn’t know of a school in Cheshire with an integrated performance program.  After discussing this I asked if there could be an opportunity for Upton – By- Chester to start an integrated dance program with its learning support centre. C. Tierney Thought it was a brilliant idea and a new way to promote the school and the local dance community.  At the moment in time talks are now being arranged with the head of the School to start such a program in Sep 2012. Such like the Candoco youth dance company http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EElYDrfxO1k .  This is a brilliant start to bringing integrated dance into schools in Cheshire.

K . Brown is currently a drama teacher I wanted to see if she had experienced anything involving integrated performance, and if she had heard of the Tv presenter Cerri Burnell. K Brown expressed that she never had to opportunity to work within an integrated environment during her training as it “just wasn’t heard of”. I then started to discuss the story of Cerri  as I was interested to get an opinion of a professional who also had young children. She expressed that she felt it would scare her young children due to the lack of physical disfigurement in the performing and television industry. She also expressed that if there were more people like Cerri in the media it would become and “everyday occurrence and wouldn’t have this shocking effect”. This also relates me to my question that does integrated dance have a negative stigma?

            I will continue to bring these questions to others parts of my professional network and blog what took place. If you have any comments on this they would be welcome. Thank you.

4b. Specialist interest Group. (SIG)

I have just developed a SIG on my personal inquiry of integrated dance. I have found this a very effective tool as it has given me the opportunity to publish this inquiry to the BAPP network and start a discussion on the topic. I would recommend that everyone should publish their own enquiry on the http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=71&uid=145821545478191#!/pages/BA-Professional-Practice-Arts-Middlesex-University/145821545478191 Facebook group as i have found it a vital tool to receive feedback and to extend my enquiry.

To View my SIG on integrated dance please follow the link below. Any help on ways to promote integrated or your views surrounding this inquiry would be very much appreciated.

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=71&uid=145821545478191#!/topic.php?uid=145821545478191&topic=71

4a. Professional Inquiry – Research Questions.

         Integrated Dance has been a passion of mine since I started my professional training. I initially chose this topic as my line of enquiry in the first module of the BAAP course, and touched upon its lack of support and advertisement in the dance industry and training.

Since I have entered my field of professional practice (teaching), it has become significantly apparent to me that there is no scheme or advertisement in schools or in dance programs to involve young children with disabilities into Dance. It has been medically proven that creative activities such as dance and drama, help engage children with all types of mental and physical impediments such as Autism, Asperger’s. Statistics researched by http://www.cafamily.org.uk/professionals/research/statistics.html show that “In the UK, there are 770,000 disabled children under the age of 16. That equates to one child in 20”. So why are these children not encouraged to explore the performing arts.

In my line of inquiry I Aim to look into the world of integrated dance and explore the path a young disabled dancer may take the opportunities that may arise and the sigma attached to integrated Dance.

Some questions I Aim to research and hope to answer are;

1.      Are there programs available in schools and communities for integrated performing arts?

From this question I aim to explore the curriculum, and research into community projects which aim to promote integrated dance and give a positive base for these children grow creatively. By researching this question my long term aim is to build an integrated project in the establishments that I am currently working in.

2.      What benefits can a integrated dance program have on the people directly involved?

From researching this question I hope to look into integrated dance programs and see the positive effects it can have on certain individuals from the non-able to the able dancer and compare the overall effects. I also aim to use this research to enhance the development of my own integrated dance youth project.

3.      Is there a negative stigma surrounding integrated dance, if so why?

By researching into this question I aim to enhance my own professional knowledge of integrated dance.  This question opens a wide spectrum of thoughts which integrates many more questions that could be counter parts into answering this question.

a.       Is there a lack of knowledge surrounding integrated dance?

b.      Is a physical disfigurement “acceptable in the performance industry”.

(for this part of the question I will research into the BBC presenter  Cerri Burnell and research her story )

http://www.daa.org.uk/index.php?mact=Blogs,cntnt01,showentry,0&cntnt01entryid=23&cntnt01returnid=98.

I am extremely intrigued to critically reflect on these initial questions. I hope to extend my knowledge in the areas surrounding integrated dance and utilse what I have learned into my own professional practice.